Ditched: A Love Story

Author: Robin Mellom
Publisher: Hyperion

Summary: Justina wakes up in a ditch in the middle of the night after attending her senior prom and struggles to piece together the events--which seem to involve a three-legged Chihuahua, a demolition derby-ready Cadillac, and a fresh tattoo--that brought her there.

 Justina didn't want to go to prom...but Ian convinced her to go.  Told in a series of flashbacks, Justina tries to figure out how she ended up alone on the side of the road.  A fun read that fans of Deb Caletti will love.

The International Kissing Club

Author: Ivy Adams
Publisher: Walker Publishing Company

Summary: Best friends Piper, Mei, Izzy, and Cassidy of Paris, Texas, spend a semester studying abroad and track their romantic escapades on a Facebook fan page.

 Friendship and loyalty are tested when four best friends separate.  Three of the the girls go to study abroad while one has to stay home.  This book is about more than kissing a lot of boys - it is a novel that looks at friendship, self-confidence, and loyalty, with a couple of "pig kisses" along the way.

The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books

Summary: Sixteen year old Hazel, who has cancer, meets Augustus at a kids-with-cancer support group and as they fall in love they both wonder how they will be remembered.

I know when I pick up a John Green book, that I should expect the unexpected.  Green is a master of the plot twist, and I can almost remember the exact page when I figured out what was going to happen.  When I figured out what was going to happen, I wanted to toss the book across the library, but I couldn't force myself to stop reading.  Cancer books are almost all the same, and John Green is able to take a "cancer book" and turn it into a moving novel that will appeal to all teens.

Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Summary: Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

 A perfect book. Palacio is able to balance every character in such a way that the reader can understand how it feels to be Auggie, how it feels to be Auggie's older sister, and how it feels to be Auggie's friend.  This book is insightful and moving, and should be required reading for teachers and students alike.

If you enjoyed reading Wonder, try reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper or Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine.

Article 5

Author: Kristen Simmons
Publisher: Tor Teen

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller, living in a world in which the Bill of Rights has been revoked, is able to keep a low profile until her mother is arrested for noncompliance and she realizes the officer responsible is her first love, Chase Jennings.

 At times, the "flashback" letters are confusing, but once you get into the flow of the book, they fit into the story better.  The main characters are strong, and although the other characters are flat at times, the main character, Ember, is a full character that I was able to connect with.

Queen of Kentucky

Author: Alecia Whitaker
Publisher: Poppy

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Ricki Jo, a Kentucky farm girl, learns that popularity is not all she hoped it would be when the huge changes she makes in her personality and style seem to do more to drive away old friends than to win new ones.

 A new school - high school - Ricki Jo decides that she needs to change her image and be called Erika.  Homecoming - Friends - Boyfriends?  Ricki Jo is a believable character who made me laugh and want to cry.  Themes of friendship, family, and being true to yourself are the undercurrents of this book that is able to make the South come alive.

Beauty Queens

Beauty Queens, Libba Bray

When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

I have been waiting to read this book since Dr. Teri Lesesne tweeted about reading it.  It was not a disappointment.  Libba Bray is able to take inspiration from Lord of the Flies, and to create a page-turning story that looks at society's stereotypes.  This book made me think, made me laugh out loud, and made me wish that school were in session so that I could recommend it to my students.  This is a book that most teens will enjoy!